Tasting menus, Michelin stars and the chefs redefining Detroit.
Tasting menus, Michelin stars, and the kitchens redefining what fine dining means in Detroit.
Mabel Gray on John R Road in Hazel Park serves chef James Rigato's no-set-menu kitchen, five-time James Beard semifinalist Best Chef Great Lakes.
Order: The market plate; whatever the kitchen runs that night, no two services repeat.
Tip: Tuesday through Sunday; bookings on Tock. Twenty-five seats; reservations open four weeks out.
Marrow in the Market on Riopelle Street in Eastern Market is a butcher-shop and brasserie concept from Ping Ho's Marrow Hospitality Group in Detroit.
Order: Dry-aged steak from the in-house butcher counter and a glass from the deep cellar.
Tip: Butcher Bar, City View Lounge and Capital Dining Room across one floor. Book through Tock.
Prime + Proper in Capitol Park on Griswold Street is a modern Detroit steakhouse from Jeremy Sasson's Heirloom Hospitality since November 2017.
Order: Dry-aged ribeye, hash browns and tableside Caesar in a 1912 building.
Tip: Reservations through OpenTable. Cocktail bar takes walk-ins; private dining for groups.
San Morello inside the Shinola Hotel on Woodward serves Southern Italian wood-fired cooking in Detroit. Led by chef Andrew Carmellini. Tasting menu $60-100.
Order: Margherita pizza from the wood oven, cacio e pepe and a glass of nebbiolo.
Tip: Brunch on weekends 10:00-14:00. The bar counter takes walk-ins on weeknights.
The Apparatus Room inside the Detroit Foundation Hotel on Larned Street serves New American cooking in a converted 1929 firehouse. Led by chef Thomas Lents.
Order: Wood-roasted half chicken with seasonal vegetables and a glass of Michigan Riesling.
Tip: Breakfast from 07:00 daily. Dinner reservations recommended; the bar is open later.
Wright & Company on the second floor of the Wright-Kay Building on Woodward serves James Beard-nominated composed small plates and natural wines in Detroit.
Order: Three to four shared plates with the burrata, lamb meatballs and an off-list cocktail.
Tip: Reservations strongly recommended for weekend evenings; the bar takes walk-ins from 17:00.
Selden Standard on 2nd Avenue in Detroit's Cass Corridor serves wood-fired seasonal New American cooking. Detroit Free Press Restaurant of the Year 2015.
Order: Wood-fired vegetable plate and the hand-cut pasta of the week.
Tip: Bar seats hold for walk-ins from 17:00. Reservations on OpenTable.
Takoi on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves modern Thai cooking in a neon-lit room since March 2016. Led by chef Brad Greenhill. Tasting menu $60-90.
Order: Crispy rice salad, whole-fried fish and the cocktail menu.
Tip: Dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday from 16:00. Reservations open three weeks out.
Joe Muer Seafood inside the Renaissance Center on the Detroit River serves classic Detroit seafood since the 2011 GM Tower revival. Led by chef Brad Smith.
Order: Pan-fried Michigan whitefish, lobster bisque and a sunset window seat.
Tip: Floor-to-ceiling river view best at golden hour. Reservations on OpenTable.
Caucus Club at street level of the Penobscot Building on West Congress serves an old-Detroit chophouse first opened 1952. Led by chef Rick Hussey.
Order: Dover sole tableside, steak Diane and the classic relish tray.
Tip: Lunch service runs weekdays; dinner Monday through Saturday. Penobscot Building elevators connect.
Voyager on Vester Street in Ferndale serves sustainable seafood and a raw bar. Closed Sunday and Monday. Bar runs through 22:00 on weekends.
Order: Half-dozen East and West Coast oysters and the daily crudo composition.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Bar runs through 22:00 on weekends.
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails in Midtown next to the Detroit Institute of Arts serves farm-to-table small plates and a herbal-leaning cocktail menu.
Order: Seasonal vegetable composition, duck confit and the bartender's tasting flight.
Tip: Lunch Fridays only; dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Two private dining rooms upstairs.
Editor picks in Detroit include Mabel Gray, Marrow in the Market, Prime + Proper, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.